There are so many different types of plumbing piping that have been used throughout the years, all of which we’ll go through down below. Is one type of piping better to use than others? Yes, there are some industry stand-outs that are the standard for most modern homes, depending on what kind of line it is.
At Draingo Plumbing we are a team of experienced plumbing professionals who live in the communities we serve throughout the Tampa Bay area. We strive to be your number one plumber in the Holiday, Florida and surrounding areas of Tampa Bay through our excellence in the field and our passion for informing our clients.
The Metallic Era: Piping Of The Past
If your home was built around 40-50 years ago, there’s a chance your plumbing is still the metal piping that was originally installed with your house. For water or drain and sewer lines, that might mean either cast iron, galvanized, or copper piping.
Both cast iron and galvanized piping fell out of popularity around 40 years ago due to the corrosion problems with cast iron, and contamination concerns with galvanized piping. Copper piping was widely used until about ten years ago, when it began to fall out of popularity, in favor of plastic piping that is now widely used today.
- Cast iron pipes were widely used in houses before 1975 as a popular drain line piping option. Cast iron pipes simply erode too quickly in Florida weather. If you have cast iron piping and you’ve been needing a sewer or drain cleaning in the Holiday, Florida area or the South East US, it is most definitely time to upgrade these lines!
- Galvanized piping was a popularly used water line option because of its longer lasting lifespan of 50 or more years. That is, until about 50 years ago because of the possible contaminants like lead and other metals in some homes.
- Copper piping was also a popular water line option 50 years ago until about 10 years ago when plastic piping became the most popular option. The reason is the same as cast iron: in Florida the harsh climate mixed with heavier metals existing in our water quickly erodes copper piping.
The Plastic Era: What Does ‘PVC’ Stand For, Anyway?
PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is a thermoplastic in which modern plastic piping is made. There are three different types of these plastic pipe options and they are used for different purposes.
- PVC piping is used as a drain line nowadays because of its long lifespan of 75-100 years. Florida weather isn’t so harsh to PVC like it is to metal piping, and Florida doesn’t get too cold, so there’s no real fear of it cracking in sub-freezing temperatures here.
- CPVC and PEX piping are both used as water line options. CPVC stands for chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, and PEX stands for cross-linked polyethylene. Over time, all plastic piping will get more brittle, making it susceptible to breaking if accidentally hit, or if you have to go in and do a repair on it. CPVC tends to weaken quicker than PEX, which is why we tend to prefer using PEX more.
We hope you can use this information if you have an older home, or are curious about what kind of piping to put in your new home. If you need a plumber in the Holiday, Florida area for a sewer or drain line cleaning, or any other plumbing necessities, give us a call today; We love to serve our community!
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